The analysis of whole blood requires the use of an anticoagulant, typically in the collection apparatus, in order to prevent coagulation of the collected blood sample prior to its analysis. The use of heparin, both in dry and liquid form, is known, as is its ability to bind a certain portion of the electrolyte within the blood sample (e.g. sodium, potassium and/or calcium ions). This electrolyte binding is undesirable since it effectively prohibits an accurate analysis of blood electrolyte concentration, particularly sodium, potassium and calcium ion concentrations. The measurement of calcium ion concentration has recently received increased attention in the field of cardiac medicine in view of the heart's sensitivity to calcium ion concentration and the recent development of blood gas machines to monitor the concentration thereof.
Various solutions to the problems associated with this electrolyte binding by heparin have been heretofore proposed. For instance, Radiometer A/S of Copenhagen has previously marketed anticoagulant compositions for use in connection with blood sampling apparatus in the form of capillary tubes having a coating on the inner wall of the tube of dry sodium heparinate. These compositions are further said to contain a specified amount of calcium chloride in an effort to compensate for the blood's calcium anions which will be bound by the heparinate once in solution. The use of this composition therefore does not provide a complete solution to the aforementioned problem since this composition introduces additional sodium and chloride ions into the blood sample, thereby altering an accurate analysis of the concentration of sodium and chloride within the blood sample. Moreover, the added calcium ions represent only a replacement for an approximation of those expected to be bound by the heparin component. Therefore, an analysis for calcium ion concentration within the collected sample while improved, is not rendered totally accurate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,000 (assigned to Radiometer A/S) discloses a method for treating a blood sample with an anticoagulant as well as a blood sampling device. The disclosed method involves contacting a collected blood sample with (a) an anticoagulant capable of binding cation species within the blood and (b) an additive including selected cationic species in the amounts compensating for proportions of these cation species bound by the anticoagulant. The disclosed method still does not represent a true solution to the aforementioned problems, however, since again the cationic species present in the additive represent only estimations of the cations expected to be bound rather than the true and exact amounts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process for the production of an anticoagulant composition.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method for treating blood with anticoagulant which allows for accurate analysis of the sodium, potassium and calcium ions present therein.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is both a container for the claimed anticoagulant and useful in the practice of the claimed method.